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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com